Chapter 1

Slide Away (and give it all you've got)

Saturday, 9th of July, 1994


When Ron looked into the mirror of Erised, he saw himself achieve great things. He saw himself become the most admirable, accomplished and good looking of his brothers, but the one thing he didn't see was money.

He wondered why, when Harry explained to him what the mirror actually did, he hadn't see a great big sack of galleons to accompany the Head Boy and Quidditch captain badges fastened to his robes. Perhaps growing up with less money than others had made him appreciate how little you really need it.

That being said though, he could use some money. Maybe it was because he only got his own wand after he turned thirteen, or maybe it could be the way he watched helplessly as his parents try desperately to make ends meet year after year that made Ron decide he didn't want to depend on his father's salary anymore. He needed a job.

He could go looking around Diagon Alley for one, but he would need someone to take him to London every day if he found one, and he really didn't want to have to tell his parents that he needed more money. They would just insist that he was fine and buy him something small to make him think that they could afford to spoil him. He knew he could be sensitive when it came to money, and his parents were too. He didn't want to make them feel like they weren't doing enough.

The only solution was to look for a summer job down in Ottery St Catchpole, the quiet village that the wizarding families who lived in the area shared with the muggles. So, on the third day of summer holidays, Ron Weasley woke up at seven in the morning to make the trek down to the town and find himself a job.


It was useless. He had tried at least a dozen places already. The man at the Fish & Chip shop said that he had his son helping him this summer. The Woman at the counter of the supermarket told him they weren't hiring. The man running the Indian take away said they weren't getting enough business and couldn't afford more staff.

Serves them right for serving greasy samosas, thought Ron bitterly, as he took another bite out of his lunch. He had spent all the money he had on it, and his mum said it should last him the entire holiday. Maybe his parents were behind on their exchange rates and didn't really know how much £7 could buy you these days.

Sitting on a bench and eating his curry, Ron looked at the row of buildings in front of him, he noticed something. Even when he walked along that street thirty minutes ago he didn't notice a very small shop window with a sign proclaiming:

Willowgreen Records:

England's best shop for cassettes and Vinyl

Ron noticed a sticker applied roughly on the corner of the sign next to the word 'Vinyl'

Now selling CD-ROM's!

Ron wasn't totally ignorant about Muggle music, his Dad has a muggle wireless in his shed. Before he went to Hogwarts, he used to sneak in and listen when he could. It was more reliable than the TV, which never seemed to pick up a signal (whether it was the magic of the house of just how old and battered it was, he didn't know), and the music was far better than Celestina Warbeck.

But to work in a record shop, he wouldn't know what to recommend to people, and he was certain the owner wouldn't want to hire a fourteen-year-old who couldn't keep a conversation about the very thing he centered his business around.

'Calm down Weasley' Thought Ron, 'You probably won't even get the job'. Ron breathed in and walked across the street with purpose.


Olivia was dripping with sweat. She had been sprinting for almost two hours, protecting her objective and risking life and limb to do it. But now she was still. Waiting for the moment.

It all came down to this, a year of perseverance and hard work and all the physical pain to accompany it lead to this all or nothing moment. Her enemy started running, her toes stomping into the grass as her right foot came into contact with the sphere, sending it hurtling toward the large white box spray-painted on the ground. Using their shoulders, she and the opposing striker next to her were already wrestling for the position they estimated the ball would land. They were in the box, so if she got too aggressive she might give the other side a penalty.

When the ball got close to them, the enemy moved further back, estimating the ball to go over Olivia's head. Unfortunately for the striker, Olivia was now able to move back a step, perfect position for a jumping header. As the striker got ready to take the ball, Olivia had already jumped, her head connecting with the ball, and now hurtling towards the feet of her fellow defender. The other defender volleyed the ball up the pitch, towards one of the strikers who were further towards halfway.

This was all they needed. It was minute ninety-four, and the referee mercifully blew the whistle. Olivia immediately drew a sigh of relief. They drew one-one, but it was enough to keep them in the running for league champions this year, provided they win every game they have left, and the other contenders aren't so lucky.

She turned around to the opposing player and held out her hand.

"Good Game"

The other girl, looking as tired as she felt cracked a wide, and wild grin.

"Yeah it was a tough one, shame yeh got to the ball before me, almost got us the win"

Olivia gave a friendly scoff.

"In your dreams, Taylor"

Olivia spotted a small figure sprinting towards her, carrying an orange and a water bottle. Before she knew it, Her step-sister Eddie was looking up at her with admiration in her eyes. Taylor gave her a cheery (albeit tired) goodbye and Olivia looked towards the stands where Eddie was watching the game from, only to be greeted by an empty chair next to her bag. She knew her dad couldn't be here today, but it didn't make it any less disappointing.

"The delivery came early this week, so Martin still unpacking boxes this morning". Eddie said, catching on to Olivia's disappointment.

"Probably gonna take him all day to sort, label and box all the new stock" Olivia replied. No matter how disappointed she might feel, her father really did need help running the shop.

"Then we better get back quick to help him," Eddie said enthusiastically. Olivia chuckled, when helping her dad, he usually got Eddie to help by keeping an eye out and shouting for him if they have a customer, which is pretty often. Usually, it's just Olivia sorting out the new stock while her dad and Eddie help customers.

"OLLIE!" came a yell from further down the pitch. It was Olivia's coach, and he was beckoning her over to the team.

"Aight," Said Olivia, "Gotta go and talk to the coach now, we'll go get lunch and help out Dad".

"Alright, I'll go get your things" Eddie replied, running off towards the seats.

Olivia made her way down towards the team, who by the looks of things was about to get a half-arsed speech about trying hard and having fun, with a side of how they can improve by next week. Olivia sighed, all she really wanted to do right now was eat, shower and listen to one of the new albums that just got delivered to her dad's store.


With a big box of fish and chips warming her right hand, and her left entwined with Eddie's, Olivia made her way through the door of her dad's shop.

"Dad, I got lunch!" She shouted so that her voice would reach into the back room.

"Alright Ollie, we're on our way." her father replied quickly.

"We?" Asked Eddie incredulously.

The answer to Eddie's question came in the form a quite tall ginger boy of around her age, who seemed to be sweating slightly, standing next to her father, who was beaming at her.

"How was the game sweetie?" he said, as he was pulling the box of chips out of Olivia's hand as she was distracted by the tall boy.

"It was brilliant Martin," Eddie answered for her. "She blocked a free kick with a header so that the other side couldn't score in the last minute"

"And who said strikers get all the glory" Cracked martin with a grin.

Olivia snapped her head back from the ginger-haired boy, who seemed to notice her staring at him, turning it to face her father.

"It was nothing really, just got lucky".

Her dad also seemed to notice her staring, quickly addressed the issue.

"This is Ron Weasley. He lives up in the hills just outside of town, and has been looking for a summer job so…"

"So you have him helping out then?' Olivia replied, not sure what to think. Did she really want to spend her whole summer holidays working with a stranger?

With the uncharacteristic confidence of a woman far her senior, Eddie strolled up towards Ron and held out her hand.

"I'm Eddie"

"Ron" he replied.

"I'm Olivia". Ron's hands were a little clammy, but he still reached in and shook her hand.

"Nice to meet you, Olivia".