I stood there speechless, not quite sure how to reply. They on the other hand, took my stunned silence as a yes.
"How marvelous Georgy-kins, little Melissa is speechless with joy."
"But of course dear brother, why wouldn't she be?"
"I do not know, now little Melissa darling, we are going to go and gather up our things, can I trust you to make it to your dorm safely?"
I nodded slowly, and he smiled while patronizingly patting me on the head as he and George began to clean up the testing area. The one place they ever managed to keep remotely tidy.
I slowly left the room and wandered. I suppose I made it to the common room alright, as I half heartedly murmured the password, walked in, and plopped down in the first chair that I saw.
I was overjoyed, nervous, happy, and worried all at once. I was overjoyed that I had the chance to do something as amazing and fun as work in a joke shop with the guy I loved, nervous that if things didn't work out id have to leave and find work elsewhere, happy that they wanted me to work with them, and worried that somehow I might make things awkward between the brothers and ruin their chances of success.
I wasn't much of a risk taker, and this was risky. It didn't have high chances of success, Fred wasn't a sure thing, and the idea of a new business popping up during this, this war was unheard of. It was risky, unpredictable, reckless, and that's exactly why I needed to go through with it.
I needed more risks in my life, and this was the perfect opportunity. Dating Fred hadn't been risky, simply dating in school isn't what's important, it's the relationships that happen after school that mean anything. And I had liked Fred and knowing he liked me made it a safe bet to say , this would be the first real risk in, well, forever.
With that I got up, and went to my dorm for the evening. Immediately I saw Clarisse, so as per the usual I sat her down and she began work on my hair as we gabbed about everything and anything.
"Are you going to go and work with him?" she inquired, I could hear the overwhelming curiosity in her voice. She was a bit more of a risk taker than I so this wasn't as terrifying to her as it was to me.
"Yeah, it's about time I do something, unsafe." I answered, chewing on my thumb in thought.
"I see, well if you work hard and keep the reigned in you can most likely make it work." She said matter of factly.
"You think so?" I questioned, my voice barely a squeak. I really needed to work on my nerves.
"Yeah, your brains, their innovativeness, it could really turn into something. Maybe they could be the next Zonko's." she exclaimed, her fingers running through my hair at twice normal speed. Not one snagging or pulling too tightly, she really had a gift for hair.
"That's probably their goal." I said as I fondly pondered the idea of having a major joke shop and being successful, living happily with Fred in a spacious flat in Diagon alley above the shop. Waking up every morning and seeing his face, spending my days surrounded with laughter and fun and my evenings going on whatever adventure his whims might take us. I loved my life at home already, but I had to admit it could get rather still most of the time, and a part of me yearned for more excitement.
"Well I support you, and although I don't particularly support pranks and the fact that they mostly test them on first years, ill visit the shop just for you."
"Good, and we don't just use first years. Others volunteer too, and we pay them so it's all good." I retorted, feeling a bit guilty for some of the testing id seen occur on some unsuspecting first years. That one young gryffendor still had the tiniest of limps in his step.
"Whatever lets you sleep at night." She said with a grin.
"Are you trying to make me feel guilty?" I questioned, voice returning to its previous squeak.
"Is it working?"
"Nope."
"Then no, I'm not trying to make you feel guilty about testing possibly harmful pranks on innocent children in need of cash." She reasoned with a familiar tone. While she was more adventurous and supportive of the silliness that ensued with the twins, she was very defensive of children and younger students. Anything that could cause harm to the younger students put her slightly on edge.
"Sure. No guilt trip there." I grumbled.
We laughed and spent the rest of the night gossiping and laughing, of course it was reserved, and we didn't get too into it. Gossip wasn't Clarisse's cup of tea. Eventually we began to study for the NEWT's.
I must have fallen asleep while we were studying because the next thing that I knew Clarisse was shaking me awake demanding I get up. But something must have been wrong, because I felt like crap. My nose was stuffed up, my head was pounding, and all my muscles were sore.
After pleading with Clarisse to not make me get up, I went back to sleep, with dreams that left me confused, and worried, something definitely, wasn't right.