Sorry for the lack of updates. I've been really busy with work lately and Christmas and what not.
I hope you all had a good Christmas and Happy New Year to you all and thank you all so much for reading.
Chapter 12 – Impatient
It was now the day George and Hermione were due to return to the burrow. Nerves and worry were rife and Hermione was pacing back and forth in the common room where she was hiding out with George. George was pretty relaxed, considering as he sat at one of the tables, a bubbling cauldron in front of him as he attempted to make some new products for the joke shop. He flicked the page in the Potions book he had propped up against a jug that was filled with pumpkin juice then stirred the yellow coloured liquid, clockwise three times.
"Hermione please stop pacing, you're making me nervous." George asked, looking over at the restless witch.
"I can't George. I'm just so worried and scared that something has gone wrong." Hermione admitted.
"I don't think McGonagall would appreciate you wearing a hole in that carpet." George laughed. "It's probably been here longer than her."
Hermione shot George a look, then stopped her pacing to return to the sofa nearest to where George was working.
"We haven't even heard from McGonagall yet." Hermione said.
"Hermione, it's only 1pm. We've got plenty of time." George answered. "Can you give me a hand with this Sweet Dreams potion? I could do with your brains."
"What are you planning on doing with the potion?" Hermione asked, curiously.
"Well I was just going to bottle the potion and sell it that way but I want to be more creative with it so was thinking about making it into Sweet Dream Sweets." George answered.
"That sounds like a good idea." Hermione answered. "I guess the potion itself wouldn't really sell well due to people being able to make it themselves."
"That's why I wanted to do something more creative with it." George replied.
Hermione moved from the sofa and took the seat at the table across from George to give him a helping hand.
"Are you going to give the sweets a nice flavour?" Hermione wondered, taking a book from the pile on the floor.
"Yes. I was thinking of doing various different flavours such as banana, strawberry, mint and toffee." George replied. "Any suggestions?"
"Yes they would work very well." Hermione replied. "How about doing a packet of fruit flavoured ones and then ones that have, say, toffee, chocolate flavours in them?"
"That would be a very good idea, Hermione." George grinned, scribbling down the ideas in a notebook.
"It all depends on how you're going to sell the sweets." Hermione said.
"In packets I think would be best, maybe 20 sweets per packet." George answered.
"What about sour or fizzy flavoured sweets too?" Hermione suggested. "They are very popular with muggle children."
"Hmmm. I'll have to have a think about those ones. Maybe I could use that idea for another product." George answered.
"Do you want me to make a start on another product?" Hermione asked.
"Well there's the No Nightmare Nougat, the scar fading cream and the apparition anti sickness sweets?" George answered.
"The anti-sickness tablets could be quite tricky to master." Hermione said.
"I'm sure if we put our heads together, we'll figure it out, eventually." George replied with a grin.
"Are you wanting them as tablets or sweets?" Hermione asked.
"What do you think would be better?" George asked.
"I think sweets would be better and easier for people to take." Hermione answered. "How do you want them to work?"
"Well you just pop one in your mouth just before you apparate and it stops you from getting sick." George explained.
"Do you want people to chew it while apparating or just before?" Hermione wondered, taking notes in George's book.
"So many questions, Hermione." George chortled, leaning back in his chair. "Just before. We don't want the poor people choking on them."
"I just need to know what your ideas are for these products so I can help you, Weasley!" Hermione stated, but in a playful tone. "And how exactly you want them to work."
"I think I'm going to enjoy letting you help me with products." George grinned, leaning forward over the table. "Fred might be a bit jealous though. Then again he might be over the moon that I have some how managed to talk the brightest witch of our age into helping us."
"I can still change my mind you know." Hermione said, poking her tongue out at George.
"And you're not afraid to put me in my place either." George grinned.
"Someone has too." Hermione retorted.
Their bantering was interrupted by McGonagall entering the common room with lunch for the two of them and herself.
"Hello Professor." George smiled in his usual confident tone.
"Any news for us?" Hermione asked.
"Well I was watching for a short while this morning and everything seems relatively normal. Percy and Mr Weasley went off to the Ministry, your Mother was doing some gardening while the boys and Ginny played Quidditch. Hermione was sat outside reading." McGonagall explained.
"Everyone is alright then?" George asked.
"Yes that I can see." McGonagall answered. "I couldn't go too close in case Molly recognised me in my cat form."
"Are you going back again?" Hermione asked.
"Yes. I will go back again once I get some lunch." McGonagall answered. "What are you two making?"
"George is making a sweet dreams potion which he's going to make into a sweet form to sell in the shop." Hermione explained. "We were also talking about making an anti-sickness sweet for apparating."
"I think we are struggling to come up with how to start the sickness tablets." George added. "Any ideas professor?"
"Well I would start off with making an anti-sickness potion then you should be able to make it into a sweet form." McGonagall answered. "Of course I am probably not the best person to be asking about making potions, your best bet is Professor Slughorn."
"I think we should try the anti-sickness potion first then take it from there." Hermione suggested.
"I will send Professor Slughorn an owl and ask him for suggestions." McGonagall offered. "But as I am quite hungry, I think we should eat our lunch first."
The three of them did just that, tucking into toasted sandwiches and sausage rolls, washed down with refreshing pumpkin juice. McGonagall was keen to hear what other ideas George had for the shop.
"Never in my wildest dreams did I think you and Fred would become successful business men. I honestly thought you'd yourselves thrown in Azkaban." McGonagall admitted.
"I think everyone thought that about us too." George said. "Even our own Mother."
"Looking back, I can't believe how wrong I was and I should be eating my words." McGonagall stated. "I am very proud of you and Fred."
"Thank you Professor. That means a lot." George replied, blushing slightly.
"I do like to see my ex students doing well for themselves, despite the fact the students can't get enough of your products and insist on using them in the school." McGonagall said.
"I'm awfully sorry about that Professor. I do hope they weren't using them on you or other lovely staff members." George aplogised.
"Thankfully none were used on myself but I do have a feeling some may have been used on the Carrows and Snape." McGonagall answered.
"That is truly awful. I cannot believe that my customers would do such a horrible thing." George said in a sarcastic tone which made Hermione and McGonagall laugh.
"I'm very glad to see that you and Fred both did listen in some of your classes." McGonagall said with a small smile.
"Of course we listened Professor. We wouldn't have been able to make our products if we didn't." George replied. "Neither of us have Hermione's excellent brains though."
"You are both brilliant wizards in your own right, George and obviously very smart. I will give you credit where it's due." McGonagall stated.
"Thank you." George smiled.
"I do hope you'll be opening the shop up again." McGonagall said.
"Of course we will be. I can't wait to get it up and running again." George replied. "But we'll have loads to do before we can open up again."
"I'm sure you'll have it open again in no time." McGonagall replied.