Chapter 96
Ever since he'd started working at the Ministry, Ron realised that he'd rarely left it during the day. Most of his days were spent underground, in an office, walking the corridors or in the lunch room in the hope of catching his wife at the same time.
But today, he'd escaped aboveground. He had an hour and for a while, he simply wandered Muggle London. Once upon a time ago, he would have felt completely lost and bewildered to be in an environment he was very much not used to. Over the years, though, he'd grown accustomed to how it all worked. He understood money, how appliances functioned, and simply how to converse with Muggles without bringing magic into the conversation. Now, he could walk past a shop and not wonder what a 'computer' was, because he knew and could envision it in his head.
He stopped in a small cafe and ordered food, paying for it with only a moment's hesitation on how much he needed to give over to the worker. He then smiled at the woman taking his money, thanked her and left with his food.
It was a fairly simple life, he realised. At least for Ron.
For the second half an hour of his break, he returned to the most familiar part of London — Diagon Alley. There, he was amongst people like him and he was free to carry his wand around and he didn't receive odd looks when he walked past in robes.
Here was a place that he'd grown up in, visited with his family to either buy his older siblings' school supplies and wishing it was him, or going with his mother when everyone else was at school, he and Ginny tagging along and staring into the window of Quality Quidditch Supplies.
He had the best of both worlds now, and maybe, if things didn't work out in the wizarding world, he could find a job in the Muggle one. He wondered if Hermione would agree to that.
That was an option, though not one he really wanted.
He only had about twenty minutes left when he stopped out the front of his brother's shop. As usual, it was filled with colour and noise and when he peered through the window he saw that it was filled with small children and their parents.
He made a note that he'd have to take Rosie here when she was a bit older and then entered. George was at the back, trying to serve a never-ending line of paying customers, all the while keeping his eye on the others, probably making sure they didn't run off with anything.
Ron had always admired George's positivity. Growing up, Fred and George had always been the ones to make others laugh. But right now, he looked flat-out stressed. He seemed to be doing the job of three people.
"Alright there, George?" he asked, coming to the counter.
George barely glanced at him, accepting a handful of Galleons from a woman with two young children bouncing on their toes with their new toys.
"I'm more busy than I've ever been and it's not even the summer holidays!" George eventually said.
"Where's Verity?" Ron asked.
George waved a hand vaguely in the direction of the shelves. "Over there, trying to be in more than one place at the same time. I'm going to miss her when she goes, that's for sure."
Ron peered through the crowd, but couldn't spot the woman that had been in the shop virtually from its opening. He'd only met her a handful of times, talked to her even less, but she did seem on top of everything, and George seemed to really like her and appreciate her working for him.
"What brings you here?" George then said, finally looking at Ron in a lull moment before the next group stepped to the counter. "Aren't you working?"
"Lunch," Ron said. "But I do have to be back in a moment. Just thought I'd drop in and say hi. I didn't realise you'd be so busy."
George snorted. "Been like this for a while now. That's four Galleons." He held out a hand to a boy and girl, both about ten, to take their money. "Hence why I want to open up in Hogsmeade. Relieve some of the pressure."
"It's good for business, though, isn't it?" Ron said. "I mean…"
"If I had the staff to manage it properly."
"You haven't found anyone else?" Ron asked.
"Nobody I trust to run a whole damn shop on their own. I've got a few workers in mind to assist, but I really need someone at Hogsmeade to oversee things."
Ron once again looked around the shop. It had more and more products each time he visited. George was a genius. He couldn't quite grasp how his brother could continue coming up with ideas and putting them out to have them successfully sold. He was the most successful business in Diagon Alley — no one could deny that.
"Then, ever since I put out my Homework-Helping-Cheat-Free range, the owl orders for Hogwarts have picked up by eighty percent. I can barely produce them in time. Some students are getting them a whole month after they order it. What's the point by then? Exams are over."
"You can only do so much," Ron reasoned. "You need —"
"Help," George said. "Yeah."
Ron fell silent. He only had a few minutes before he had to get back to the Ministry, though seeing how stressed his brother was made him want to stay. Perhaps he could take money from people. He didn't know much about the products, but he could take money.
"Listen, mate, I'm really busy, I'd love to chat, but I just can't."
"Yeah, sorry," Ron said. "I've got to get back to work anyway." He paused, thinking for a moment. "Hey, how do you feel about me stopping by at five today? As you close?"
"I don't have a problem," George said, "but Hermione might. Isn't she at home today with a screaming baby?"
"It'll be quick," Ron said. "Just… wait around a bit?"
George shrugged. "Alright."
"Thanks." Ron left the shop after that and Disapparated from the street, an idea already forming in his head. It wouldn't be much, or as well-paying as the Aurors, but he supposed it could do for the meantime. Ron was looking for a change, George needed help. It was the perfect answer to the problem he'd been dwelling over for years now.
He'd help George out in the shop.
…
The evening was a cool one, the sky above dark and grey, but Ron's mood felt light. He had sent a memo to Hermione after returning from his lunch to tell her he had to help George with something. She hadn't sounded too upset, but was very aware that she had been with Rose all day and he'd make this quick.
He couldn't see why George would deny him the offer. Ron couldn't promise he'd be the best, but he was help and that was what George was after. Perhaps he could help enough for George to finally open his Hogsmeade shop.
Despite all the shops being closed, Weasley's Wizard Wheezes still shone brightly. In that moment, he appreciated the joy George's work brought to everyone — children and adults alike. He couldn't wait to bring Rose here and see her face light up when she saw all the bright colours.
George was restocking the shelves when Ron entered, this time, to a much quieter environment. The customers were gone and now it was just George. He seemed more relaxed.
"Made a killing today, I bet," Ron said by way of greeting.
George smiled and laughed. "I'm on my way to Gringotts after this to put it all in the vaults."
"Vaults?" Ron questioned, surprised. Was George making enough money to keep two vaults in the wizarding bank? If that was true, he'd kept that very quiet.
"My one, and the business one. Gotta pay my staff… well… my skeleton staff, that is." He frowned.
"That's what I came to talk to you about, actually," Ron said.
That caught George's attention. He lowered his wand from levitating boxes to the higher shelves and turned to Ron with a raised eyebrow. "What, you've come here to offer your services, have you?" Ron could tell he meant it as a joke.
"I have."
"You — what?"
Ron moved to the back of the room where the counter was. "Is there a place we can talk? Sit?"
George nodded, indicating his office at the back. "Come in. Tell me exactly what's going through your mind, brother."
Ron followed George into the office, noticing the boxes of products, tests and piles and piles of plans and drawings scattered throughout it. It was near impossible to move, let alone sit, but George managed to find two chairs beneath the mess.
Ron sat in an old wooden chair that wasn't very comfortable, but it'd do.
"So," George said, not wasting any time. "Tell me. How are you supposed to help me out when you're out there fighting all the bad guys all the time?"
"I've decided to leave the Aurors."
George's eyes widened. He didn't speak for a few seconds. "Are you serious?" he eventually asked.
Ron nodded. "I've decided it's not for me. The days are long, most spent inside an office rather than being out on the field. And even if they were, I'd much rather come home to Rosie and Hermione in one piece than beat up, or not at all…"
"Wow," George said, scratching his head. "That's… that's huge. The Aurors are like —"
"Not everything it's talked up to be," Ron said. "At least not for me. I've been wanting to for a while, but it's been hard. I know we'll be losing income, and with a baby…"
"Yeah, you have a kid now," George said thoughtfully.
"Yeah, and it changes things."
"So, you want to come and work for me instead?" George said. "The safer option?"
Ron nodded. "Something like that. And, also… I can see you need the help."
George laughed. "That's a step down, don't you think? From an Auror to standing behind a counter taking money from eager children and tired parents, or stocking shelves."
"It's what I need right now."
George thought for a moment. "Does Hermione know about this? I mean, does she know of your plans, or —"
"She knows I plan on leaving. She… gets it. I think. She doesn't know I'm here talking to you, though. Not about this."
"And she'll be okay with you moving from there to… here? I know how she feels about my products…"
"It's not really her choice," Ron said shortly, then sobered. "I think she'll feel better if I have a plan, which I do now. If you'll have me, I mean."
"Of course I'll have you!" George said. "Merlin, I could use any help I can get. Though, it doesn't solve my issue of staff. Verity said she was out of here the moment I found someone to replace her…"
"At least you'll be working with your brother?" Ron offered, a sheepish smile forming.
"Huh. Yeah, that'll —" He paused, something in his expression changing. Ron wondered if the mention of brother had brought back memories of Fred; how, were Fred here, they wouldn't be in this predicament. But then his mouth broke out into a grin.
"What?" Ron questioned. "What's so funny?"
"I just had a thought!" George said excitedly. "You know I'm looking for someone to run the shop in Hogsmeade. Well, the shop that doesn't yet exist. What if that's you?"
"What?" Ron said, taken aback by this turn. He'd come here offering his services to help his brother, not… not take charge of a whole shop.
"Well… think about it!" George said. "You know I want someone I can trust, and I can trust you. These days I can, anyway. I mean, you've got a wife who keeps you in check, and you're a dad now, which is a hell of a lot of responsibility. And we'd keep it in the family, too. I run this place, you run the one in Hogsmeade. The boss." He thought some more, giving Ron the opportunity to speak.
"I'm not sure I'm out for —"
"I have an even better offer for you!" George cut in as if Ron hadn't even spoken. He looked at Ron gleefully. "Become part owner with me?"
"What?" Ron's mouth opened. "No, no, that's not what I —"
"You're serious about leaving the Aurors, right?" George continued.
"Yeah, but —"
"I can guarantee that this business is doing well enough that being part owner would not be much of a difference to what you're earning with the Aurors. Maybe, if we have a good week, it could be even better."
"George, I'm not sure I —"
"It was built to be run by two," George said. "Fred and I. It's hard doing it on my own. It's exhausting, not to mention that my whole life is based around how well it does. Did you know I haven't actually had a girlfriend since… well… since forever? And I haven't even been on a date? I don't have the time to even think about dating, because all my attention is on keeping this shop up and running."
"No," Ron said warily.
"There the rest of you are, living your lives, in long-term relationships, married, kids… and here I am —"
"Running the most popular business in wizarding England," Ron interjected.
George smiled and then shrugged, leaning back in his chair. "True enough. But… it'd be good to have someone to share the responsibility with. You know, deal with some owl orders. Have some fresh ideas, too." He gestured vaguely to the shop front. "You might not remember this, but way back, you and Harry came in here with a little crawling Teddy and you suggested I put in some things suitable for the real little ones."
Ron frowned. He didn't remember that.
"Well, I took that on board and they're some of my most popular products outside of the school range. So, you've got the ideas, Ron. Maybe bring those ideas to the table. Have them here. Work on them with me. As my partner."
Ron opened his mouth to protest again, but when he searched for an argument, nothing actually came. Other than him knowing absolutely nothing about how to run a business, this seemed like an even better opportunity than his original plan to offer his assistance.
It seemed all too surreal, and a little unbelievable that everything seemed to be falling into place. He was walking away from one job and into another that was potentially just as good financially, if not better.
But, there was one big problem. He wanted to spend more time with Rose and be present more. Taking on something such as this wouldn't allow for that.
"Mate, I must say, this is a huge thing, and I appreciate it, but, the whole reason for me doing this is to be with my daughter more —"
"You can have her here," George said. "I mean, when Hermione's back at work and everything, you can have her here. I see the babies brought in here all the time. The bright colours entertain them and they love it. Besides, she'd be a huge selling factor."
"So, you want to use my kid as a sales tool?" Ron questioned.
"No, but it can't hurt. My point is, though, you can have her here and work. And, if you can't come in, then you can easily do stuff from home." He pointed up. "I sit up there often. Well, I did, when I had the numbers to be down here. It's nice at times. Being the boss has its perks."
Ron shook his head, but not as an answer, more trying to process everything that had happened in the past five minutes. The scariest part was that he was almost considering the offer as a serious opportunity.
"I can see you're torn," George said. "You can think about it. I got a bit excited. But… I'd love to work with my little brother. Plus, I know you wouldn't let me down."
Ron wasn't as confident in that assumption, but he nodded.
"When you say 'part owner'," Ron began slowly, "you mean like…"
"Literally part owner. Half of this would be yours. I'd ask you to buy it off me, but… honestly, you'd just be filling a gap that has been here for seven years. So… just… fill that gap. And, if anything happened to you and me, you'd have something for Rose to inherit, and any future kids you might have. Merlin knows I won't be having them anytime soon."
A sinking feeling filled Ron. Was George asking him to replace Fred? Was that the reason? That he needed someone to fill a hole that hadn't ever been filled since Fred died? He didn't want to be that person. He didn't want to be Fred. He couldn't be Fred.
George seemed to know what he was thinking. "Don't worry, I'm not asking you to replace him. I just want you to fill the gap — and all the work — he left me with. Besides, I think he'd be happy to know it was you who was taking over."
"I'm not so sure about that," Ron said. "Both of you never took me all that seriously…"
"Yeah we did," George said, grinning. "We greatly admired the way you always got yourself into trouble, doing dangerous things…"
"You never showed it."
"That's because teasing you was so much more fun." George chuckled. "If that's going to be the deciding factor of your decision, though, then on behalf of Fred and I… I apologise for all the shit we did back in the day. We were young, too. I'd like to think we've both matured."
"Yeah. We have, I guess."
George took a blank piece of parchment from the desk near him and snatched up a quill. He scribbled something on it and passed it to Ron. "That's the standard profit we make each week, excluding what I pay for staff and products and things. On an average week, that's what I take home for myself. Happy to split it fifty-fifty with you because with an extra shop, that means more customers and it might just double. But it'll go up for sure."
Ron accepted the slip and read it. He did a quick calculation of half the figure and realised it was only a little less than what he was earning with the Aurors. He looked back at George, eyes wide. "It's this successful?"
George nodded. "The shop, the owl orders, yeah, it's doing alright. People need a laugh." He took the slip back from Ron and smiled. "So, what do you say? Will you be my partner?"
Ron really couldn't see a reason to say no. If George's numbers were right, their income would be virtually the same as before, but it would contain the flexibility of being able to have Rose with him. And on days that he couldn't get to the shop, he could stay at home with her and… work. Perhaps he could do the owl orders and send them all off. It was exactly what he wanted. Needed.
"Erm, yeah, I guess," Ron said, breaking out into a grin. "Completely unexpected, because I thought I was just offering you some help, but this might just be perfect for what I'm after. You'd have to show me the ropes, though. And teach me how all the products work, because I'm not exactly caught up with that. But… yeah, if you'll have me."
George jumped up, whooping. He then clapped Ron on the shoulder. "Welcome aboard, partner. You are officially part of Weasley's Wizard Wheezes."
Ron smiled, and then beamed. "Yeah… yeah I am!" Somehow, this felt right. Like he'd made the right decision.
"How long will it take you to finish up with the Aurors?" George said.
Ron shrugged. "A month or two? I haven't told anyone but Harry yet."
"How about we say March?" George said. "I'm going to send an owl tonight accepting the conditions of the Hogsmeade premise. It'll take a month or two to get all the products over, the signage up, so that works, I think!"
"Yeah, March is good!" Ron said. "Wow…"
"Yes, yes, it's happening so fast. We'll find some new employees. Verity will be pleased to be out, and Weasley's Wizard Wheezes will be more successful than ever!" George clapped Ron on the back again.
"Now to just tell Hermione the good news!" Ron said, sarcasm etching his voice with the words good news. He knew the last thing she'd want would be to refer to her husband as the part-owner of a joke shop. It was probably much more exciting to tell everyone she was married to an Auror.
"She'll be alright," George said. "Show her the profit I make. She won't say no after that." He glanced down at his watch. "It's getting late, but how about I stop by tomorrow morning? We can go through it with her so she's on board?"
Ron nodded. "Yeah, that might be for the best. If she hears it from you, she might be —"
"Less inclined to agree," George said thoughtfully.
"I was going to say more inclined. I know nothing about running a business, but believe it or not, she admires your success, even if she doesn't like what you sell. How about ten tomorrow? That gives us time to sort Rosie out and whatnot."
George nodded. "Ten is fine. I'll break the good news to Verity and then… leave her to run the place and head on over. I can't wait to see little Rose again."
Ron smiled. "She'll be glad to see you, too."
George clapped his shoulder. "Once again, welcome aboard, mate. I look forward to having you on my team."
"Thanks," Ron said. He left the shop and Disapparated home, landing on his doorstep. When he came in, he found Hermione once again in the kitchen with Rose asleep in her bouncer on the table.
Hermione smiled. "Everything with George okay?" she asked as he kissed her.
"Better than okay," Ron said, grinning. "He's coming round tomorrow. I've solved the problem of what I'm going to do when I leave the Aurors."
I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! I love the idea of Ron working at the joke shop tbh. I think it suits him more than being an Auror.
